Festival Fitness: Preparing Your Body for a Heavy Weekend

Dancing, drinking, and enjoying music festivals can be incredibly fun, but they are also physically demanding. From standing all day to sleeping on hard ground, festivals can leave you with aches, pains, and even injuries. However, with proper preparation and exercise, you can get your body ready to handle a festival weekend with ease.

Festival Fitness for Different Types of Festival Goers

The Music Maven

Activity: Dancing all day to favorite artists.

Preparation: Incorporate heart-pumping cardio sessions into your routine to build endurance. Match your training intensity to the beat of your festival playlists. Workout Plans: Get cardio workout plans here.

The Social Butterfly

Activity: Socializing and moving from group to group.

Preparation: Try interval training to boost energy and improve stamina, allowing you to keep up with new friends all day.

Workout Plans: Get interval workout plans here.

The Chill Seeker

Activity: Relaxing with friends and enjoying the music.

Preparation: Practice yoga to improve mobility and mindfulness, making it easier to sit on the ground and enjoy a zen experience.

Workout Plans: Get yoga workout plans here.

The Adventure Junkie

Activity: Engaging in adrenaline-filled activities like zip lines and crowd surfing.

Preparation: Do HIIT (high-intensity interval training) circuit training to prepare your body for the stress and excitement of these activities.

Workout Plans: Get HIIT workout plans here.

When to Start Your Festival Workout Plan

The best time to start is now! Ideally, begin at least three months before the festival to see noticeable improvements in your fitness. However, even a few weeks of training can help with stamina and endurance.

Meditation Exercise for Hangover Relief

A simple meditation exercise can help recover from a heavy night of drinking:

1. Sit or lie down, making sure you are in a comfortable position.
2. Gently close your eyes and focus on taking long, deep breaths.
3. As your attention draws towards your breath rather than what’s happening around you, picture someone you love and visualize them in your heart.
4. As you breathe in, see their face light up with a huge, warm smile and send that joy from your heart around your body.
5. As you exhale, send a silent thank you to them and release them with gratitude.

Continue this process with every loved one, sending the joy to areas of your body that feels tired or dull.

Gentle stretching can alleviate soreness during the festival. One effective stretch is the Supine Twist:

• Lie on your back with legs extended straight and arms in a T shape.
• Bring your right knee to your chest and place your left hand on the knee.
• Gently bring your knee across your body towards the floor, keeping your right arm and shoulder on the ground.
• Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Additionally, foam rolling the feet with a golf ball can reduce soreness. Roll until you find a tight spot and hold until the tension releases.

Pre-Festival Workout Exercises

These exercises will build the full-body strength needed for a festival weekend:

1. Deadlift, Row, Shrug Combo: 3 sets, 16 reps
2. Squat and Shoulder Press Behind the Head: 3 sets, 16 reps
3. Bosu Squat Pulses: 3 sets until failure
4. Press Ups: 3 sets until failure
5. Swiss Ball Plank Circles: 3 sets, 1 minute
6. Skipping Rope: 15-20 minutes